Bill Nighy Says Smoking Is His `Greatest Regret`

Bill said: `One of the great regrets of my life is that I smoked.`

The 'Boat That Rocked' star admits his life has changed for the better since he kicked his 30-year habit, and would strongly advise others not to take it up.

He said: "One of the great regrets of my life is that I smoked. If I could say anything to anybody starting out in life it would be, 'Whatever you do, don't smoke'.

"I have had to recover from that and been lucky that I have been able to stop."

When he first quit cigarettes, Bill replaced the habit with eating sweets but has now cut refined sugar from his diet and is feeling the benefits.

He added to Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper: "It's 72 days and counting. I hit sugar when I gave up cigarettes and binged my way off cigarettes on fruit gums, Lion bars and Magnums. I have no breaks in certain areas and I tend to gorge, so to be free of it is marvellous.

"It also means I eat a lot of fruit, which I never used to. And it means I am properly hungry when I am meant to be. I don't snack. I sound so marvellous.

"I don't have a strict regime but I do a bit of exercise and I try not to put things in my body that might hurt me."